DNA fragments isolated from the left end of chromosome III in yeast are repaired to generate functional telomeres.

MedLine Citation:

PMID:
21351687
Owner:
NLM
Status:
In-Process

Abstract/OtherAbstract:

DNA fragments isolated from the left end of chromosome III in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are recognized as telomeres in yeast, since plasmids constructed with such fragments are replicated as linear molecules in yeast. The fragments have a 1.18-kb region homologous with the type X regions at yeast telomeres that contain ARS elements that allow the autonomous replication of plasmids in yeast. The X region contains a functional ARS element including the ARS consensus sequence and a distal 200-bp region that enhances ARS function. Distal to the type X region, the fragments have a region of tandemly repeated DNA sequence defined by the formula 5′-C(1–3)A-3′, and designated as the T region at yeast telomeres. Although the terminus of the chromosome was removed in the procedure used to molecularly isolate the left end of chromosome III, the fragments containing the X and T region are recognized as chromosome ends in yeast. Plasmids with inverted repeats of the chromosome III end fragments are resolved in yeast to produce linear plasmids with telomeres that are similar in length and heterogeneity with the natural left end on chromosome III. Fragments with progressive deletions from the distal end of chromosome III were prepared and used to study the X – T region requirements for distinguishing the fragments as telomeres in yeast.